Corona quarantine could soon be a thing of the past. Because a passage is inserted in the Epidemic Act that enables the Minister of Health to introduce general traffic restrictions as an alternative. The omicron variant has shown that traffic restrictions can also be a suitable means of curbing the spread of the disease when the disease is predominantly mild, according to the explanations for the amendment.
When asked by KURIER, the Ministry of Health let it be known that this is an ordinance authorization and will not become a practice for the time being. However, this is a preparation for the autumn so that the ministry can react quickly and adequately to different variants. According to the Ministry of Health, the reason behind the authorization to issue ordinances is that suspected illnesses no longer have to be legally informed in detail by notification; a call to the health authority would then be sufficient for the rules of conduct to become mandatory.
Even with future virus variants that have properties comparable to Omicron, secretions could be dispensable and mere traffic restrictions could be sufficient. In this case, the planned authorization to issue ordinances would allow rapid adaptation to the characteristics of the prevailing virus variant.
Specifically, the law states that the Minister of Health can determine by ordinance “that persons who are ill, suspected of being ill or suspected of being infected are restricted in their dealings with the outside world”. Of course, this only applies if there is no serious and significant danger to the health of other people depending on the type of illness.
Mask instead of isolation?
What such traffic restrictions could be is also stated. In particular, the following conditions could be considered: the requirement for proof of an only low epidemiological risk, the obligation to wear a mechanical protective device covering the mouth and nose area and rules on distance. The prohibition of entering work places or using means of transport as well as the participation in meetings are also mentioned.
SP health spokesman Philip Kucher is particularly annoyed by the coalition’s approach. Even today, the Ministry of Health is again presenting extensive changes to the Epidemic Act, which were not under review. The changes contained far-reaching regulatory powers and also provisions relevant to data protection: “This government doesn’t care, it’s just being pushed through.”
The liberal health spokesman Gerhard Kaniak suspects bad things. He suspects that the government wants to use the amendment to implement an indirect vaccination requirement by means of traffic restrictions.
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